Timing Belt Snapped :(

[blizake500]

Thanks everybody. My uncle just gave me his m20 engine from his wrecked e30. It has 150,000 miles on it. How hard is the engine swap? Do I have to pull the transmission with the engine? Or should I just buy a head from a junk yard and put it on my engine? Or should I do an m50 swap? Is the m50 Worth it? Thanks

[jalopi]

Lol most hondas are interference engines, hence the magic

Pulling the engine sans trans is doable but it is a major motherfucker to do, mostly because of how little clearance you have between the trans tunnel and the bellhousing bolts/trans in general. Definitely worth getting a balance bar to pull them both out at the same time

[agent]

most hondas are interference engines, hence the magic

This site says the 3.0 V6 in my wife's car is not an interference engine, which is also what I was told by someone I consider knowledgeable/reputable.

After more research, the evidence suggests that the Accord V6 IS an interference engine. Hopefully someone who has access to the Honda technical reference manuals can confirm this. I removed the link I had earlier, because looks out of date (nothing newer than ~1995). Finding reliable database of interference engines on the Internet is surprisingly hard.

[jalopi]

The quote you referenced is right; finding a definitive answer on whether an engine is interference or not online can be a motherfucker. But when I worked in a shop we had this big ass poster (maybe 5'x5' or so) made by dayco or some other belt manufacturer that had a list of engines, what the recommended intervals were and if they were interference or not.

Almost all new engines are interference... unfortunately it's just something that comes with higher compression rates and tiny combustion chambers / good (or efficient) head design

[Sean S.]

Here ya go...

http://cdn603.ilcdn.net/files/20110223193902/gatesdocs/TimingBeltReplacementGuide.pdf

[jalopi]

Lol... yeah I guess now that you mention it I didn't think about going to the belt manufacturer's site... the internet's changed (for the better) in the last 5-10 years man

Did a little browsing. I was pretty shocked that they had the 2jz and old miata 4cyls listed as non-interference, could've sworn they were valve benders.

[agent]

Well I learned something today. Good info Sean, thanks!

[MR 325]

Thanks everybody. My uncle just gave me his m20 engine from his wrecked e30. It has 150,000 miles on it. How hard is the engine swap? Do I have to pull the transmission with the engine? Or should I just buy a head from a junk yard and put it on my engine? Or should I do an m50 swap? Is the m50 Worth it? Thanks

If you're going to swap out the engine I personally prefer pulling/installing the engine and trans as a unit. Sounds like it's cheaper to just swap out the engine if your uncle gave you a nice low mileage unit!

No, a M50 swap is not worth it.

[blizake500]

Hey guys got the engine swap done. Thanks for all the advice!

[SterlingMetE30]

I used to have customers (with hondas, mostly civics) that would insist that I try doing a timing belt job on something that alreadybroke. The hondas seem to be the ones that somehow magially never take damager and run safterwards

Any ford zetec dohc engine so any mk1 focus and escort zx2, they're non interference. And mislabeled in the owners/ repair manuals. Owned a zx2 before my e30. So if you ever get one in with a broken belt they're okay.